


Better Than That

by serenyty



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 11:27:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2268021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenyty/pseuds/serenyty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"April's ambitions to become a YA author started, like many things in her life, as an insult. "</p>
<p>Part of Sitcomathon 2014 for Stillscape!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Than That

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stillscape](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillscape/gifts).



> For the prompt: " I want an AU where April doesn't apply to vet school and instead decides to write a YA novel." 
> 
> This was way too delicious and wonderful for me to pass up! Hope you enjoy!

It wasn't something April had always thought about. It also wasn't a sudden burst of inspiration. Instead, April's ambitions to become a YA author started, like many things in her life, as an insult.

  
As the Parks department packed up their things after watching Twilight in the park, Tom and Donna chatted about the movie, raving about their favorite parts and ranting about changes made to the book. April rolled her eyes. Everyone seemed to think it was fantastic; how did no one else see what utter crap it was? April often took pride in her tastes being different from the rest of Pawnee, since most people were terrible, but this seemed so obviously terrible that she had no idea how anyone could see it differently.

"Vampire movies should be about blood and death, not high schools and sparkles," she muttered to Andy. "That sucked. And not in a cool way. In a bad way."

  
It was with that that April came to the conclusion, as she picked up her stuff and moved to leave with the rest of the Parks department, "I could write something better than that."  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

April briefly thought about writing something again when Donna started raving about 50 Shades of Grey to anyone that would listen. April was never verbose, but seriously, how hard could it be to write a book when 50 Shades, of all books, was actually selling.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As her relationship with Andy started to take off and she began to take more responsibility in the Parks department (something that, if you had asked her before she started as an intern, she would never have thought would happen), April forgot what she said that fateful night in the park. Occasionally an inkling would pop up when she was alone and thinking, but it didn't totally resurface for a few years.

  
"That was awesome!" Andy exclaimed as they walked home from Craig's nephew's party. "Getting money? For music? Mouserat usually got paid in beer!" Andy thought about it. "Or we might have gotten paid in money and spent it all on beer.

  
April smiled the kind of wide smile that she reserved for Andy and Andy alone. "And you have another party next weekend!"

  
"I never thought playing for kids could be so fun! I always thought it would be boring, since I can't sing Sex Hair, but it's really cool to have an audience that isn't wasted or high. I think this could be really great."  
Andy continued. "I wish that you could do something that would make you this happy." He thought for a moment. "Do you want to be Johnny Karate for a while?"

 

April immediately shook her head and assured him that he was much better at reaching kids than she'd ever be, but the sentiment got to her. Life with Andy was good, and while she hated most things, not hating her job sounded like it would be pretty good, too.

  
Working with kids was out, as was actually working with most people. The Parks department was OK, on most days. But doing something for people, that was something she might be able to do.

  
And with that thought, April Ludgate remembered her ambition of writing a book. It couldn't be too hard, she thought, and if it was her book she could write whatever she wanted and for whomever she wanted. Sparkles were out, blood was in.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April didn't tell anyone at first, not even Andy. While she knew she would have to tell everyone sometime, she reasoned that telling people would make them have expectations of her, and she might have to do stuff, and instead she wanted to write.

  
So, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, she pulled out her laptop. She pulled open Word and stared. What should she write? How could she begin? Declaring herself to be an author was so easy, but she had absolutely no idea where to go from there.

  
After thinking briefly, she typed "I hate most people and most things, but I don't hate this." She stared. What would that become? She quickly erased it. She didn't want to write something in the first person. Plus, that was corny and dumb. But it was still something. She thought a bit more, and started to write.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andy found out pretty quickly. While Andy wasn't the most intuitive of people, he did live with her, they were married, and she never lied to her husband. Once he found out, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the Parks department found out.

  
Leslie immediately went to hug her. "April," she sighed, "you beautiful, wonderful, genius! I'm so proud of you!"

  
April groaned but still smiled, glad for Leslie's approval.

  
"That's so cool," Ann said as Leslie detached herself from April. "Can I read it?"

  
"Ew, no," April groaned, "Don't ruin this for me, Ann."

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April moaned as she sunk down onto Andy. Years into marriage and they still had sex any chance they could get, and it was always amazing. That was true love, as far as April was concerned. April concentrated on the pleasure she got from Andy's cock.  
She slowly raised up before sinking back down. She repeated this motion, slowly moving centimeter by centimeter.

Andy groaned. "April, you are going really slowly. Not that this isn't totally hot, but could you move a little faster."

  
April reached over to grab her laptop, which she positioned on Andy's chest and started to type. " Sorry babe, I'm doing research for the sex scene."

  
She wrote as she rode him for several minutes before she saved her word file and placed the laptop back on the nightstand. Andy sighed with relief before rolling her over onto her back and thrusting quickly, bringing them both to their peaks.

  
As they lay together in the afterglow, Andy thought. "Wait a minute," he said "there's sex in books? Where can I find these sex books?"

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As time passed and people stopped talking about it, April found she was actually getting into her story. Before long, she actually had a novel written. Now what? She thought back to what got her interested in writing in the first place and had an idea.

  
She printed out a copy of her manuscript, clipped it together, and, the next day, put it down on Donna's desk. Donna looked up from where she was working, to look at the large stack of paper. "What is this?"

  
"I finished my book." April said. "You like books, do you want to read it?"

  
Donna grinned. "Hell yes I want to read this! Do you want constructive criticism or do you just want me to read it?"

  
"Constructive criticism. But if we disagree I'm right."

  
The next few days April was a bundle of nerves. She didn't like caring about things, she didn't want to care about things, but the book was a part of her, and a part of her that Donna was critiquing and criticizing. It actually made her care.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April printed out another copy for Andy to read, who snatched it up immediately to read the research that April and he had worked so hard on. He got to the research, reread it three times, and then went to get April and take her to the bedroom. When he finally finished it he loved it.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donna returned her copy of the book. "I wrote you some notes in the margins. You don't have to take all of them, but they're there if you want."

  
April pretended not to notice how many red marks dotted the pages as she flipped through the manuscript. "Thank you," she said.

  
"I liked it," Donna said. "You have a strong voice and you had compelling characters. I'd just consider tightening up the story to make it flow better. Otherwise, I think you have potential. Are you planning on submitting it somewhere?"

  
"I haven't gotten that far," April admitted.

  
"I have a cousin who does book publishing." Donna slid April a card. "Once you have a finished second draft you should send it over."

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April wrote and rewrote and agonized over it. At times she hated it; writing felt like work, and work was stupid. But, somehow, she couldn't think of stopping. As soon as she stopped she got more and more ideas of how she could get things better.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waiting to hear back from the publisher took forever. Donna assured her that this was normal for the industry. It didn't stop it from being nerve-wracking.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You've reached hell, sorry you've missed Satan because he's out, you can leave a message if you want."

  
"Hi, this is April's phone, right? This is Maggie Meagle, calling about your manuscript. Can you call me back as soon as you can? I'd love to talk to you about where we can take your book."  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "

April, you can't do this!" Leslie cried.

  
"I need a book cover, and I'm getting it from the most talented person I know," April replied.

  
"But you can't get your book cover designed by Orin! This will be a disaster!"

  
"The publisher said I could have my input on the cover. Orin's a genius and the cover will be great."

  
As it turned out, Orin's art made the cover, but the publisher had a professional  
design the cover, if only to give April's name and the book title prominent enough font, and to have it be in a normal font, unlike Orin's version.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Parks department celebrated the release of April's book together. She stood in front of Andy as he held her close. The couple had visited New York to talk to the publisher and do some final business there, but all the big celebrating was done in Pawnee with the Parks department.

  
"I am sure this is literally the best book ever written," Chris said as he handed over money to buy a copy of the book. April never thought that Chris Traeger, of all people, would be the first to buy her book, but getting that first sale felt like a relief.

  
She got another hug from Leslie and a slightly awkward pat on the shoulder from Ben, both congratulating her.

  
All the attention was overwhelming, and a big part of her wanted to just go back to her apartment. And yet, she felt something she never knew she could feel; pride in her work. Writing a YA novel wasn't easy, but she was happy with her results.

  
As they head back to their home, Andy held April's hand. "You know," he said, "I'm really proud of you, babe." April grinned.

  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The next Sunday afternoon, April sat. Her book was doing reasonably well, for being a new author, and was picking up buzz. She had accomplished all she set out to do and then some. But something wasn't right. She frowned. What could she do now?  
As it turned out, she couldn't get rid of this sensation until she sat down at her laptop and started writing again.


End file.
